■ FRANCE
Thuram transfer called off
Veteran French international Lilian Thuram’s move to Paris St Germain collapsed on Friday after the defender was diagnosed with a heart condition. The 36-year-old World Cup winner had been due to sign an initial one-year contract with the French first division side. But he told a press conference on Friday that a “heart defect” had been detected during a medical visit at the Parisian club. “If I’m holding this press conference, it’s unfortunately not to announce my signing with PSG but to tell you that doctors have detected a heart defect,” the player said. “It seems that it’s the same illness that my brother had a few years ago and from which he died on a basketball court.” Thuram said that doctors would continue their tests and they should have the final results in a month.
■ SWEDEN
Ljungberg quits Sweden
Sweden captain Fredrik Ljungberg has announced his retirement from international soccer, the country’s TT agency reported on Friday. The 31-year-old former Arsenal midfielder said it was becoming physically too difficult to play for both West Ham United and the national team. Ljungberg played his first match for his country back in 1998. “I have decided to concentrate on my football with West Ham. This is where my priority now lies,” Ljungberg said. He competed in three European championships and two World Cups with the Swedes, before being named captain after the 2006 World Cup. “The moment has come to let some other player take the No. 9 jersey. Sweden has a lot of talented players and I am sure my place will be taken by someone who has the same passion for sport as me,” he said.
■ COSTA RICA
Medford gets the sack
Costa Rica fired coach Hernan Medford on Friday as a result of their long winless streak in the run-up to their 2010 World Cup qualifiers, local media reported. “At last I’m free,” Medford said after a meeting with the country’s soccer federation chiefs, newspaper La Nacion reported. Under Medford, Costa Rica went 12 successive games without a victory until they beat Grenada 3-0 on June 21 in the second leg of a World Cup qualifier. The two sides drew 2-2 in the first leg. He was capped 89 times as a player and had been in charge since October 2006. The win sent Costa Rica to the next round of qualifying. They have qualified for the World Cup three times and reached the second round of the 1990 finals in Italy.
■ ENGLAND
City agree Jo deal with CSKA
Manchester City have agreed to pay a club record £19 million (US$37.6 million) for CSKA Moscow’s Brazil striker Jo, British media reported on Friday. The 21-year-old Jo would be the first acquisition by new City manager Mark Hughes, who joined from Blackburn Rovers two weeks ago. Jo, whose full name is Joao Alves de Assis Silva, scored 44 goals in 77 games for CSKA Moscow, including two goals in four Champions League appearances — both against Inter.
■ ENGLAND
Bolton sign Elmander
Sweden international Johan Elmander has signed a three-year contract with English Premier League club Bolton Wanderers for an undisclosed fee, it was revealed on Friday. Bolton boss Gary Megson had been after the Toulouse front man since the start of the year and is rumored to have paid a club record £10 million (US$19.9 million), beating the previous mark when the club purchased French striker Nicolas Anelka from Fenerbahce.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
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